> Something like ZX Spectrum library is a much bigger undertaking, to be done well> something like that will require somebody to be dedicated to doing almost nothing> else, especially if we want to analyze in detail all the various loading routines> that were used and make notes of them, and when you're dealing with such a large set> of data any additional notes like that start to become useful. Again MAME really> needs to hit 100% perfect emulation before that happens tho, because right now some> of the copy protection schemes are so timing dependent there are images that don't> work. Even places like World of Spectrum aren't perfect such is the magnitude of the> task - there's actually an awful lot of 'at risk' software on these systems, even> some of the recent stuff or unique cracks that don't get the same level of attention> as popular releases.

By way of example, look at the situation with the Apple II and the "4AM" cracks that have been getting posted to the Internet Archive: there remains a ton of uncracked, improperly cracked, or generally not-ideally-preserved Apple II disks out there, and it hasn't been until recently that the ultimate combination of perfect emulation, an incredibly gifted Apple II cracker, the full force of Jason Scott's skill at promotion, and the necessary hardware existed.

Something like this is going to need to happen for any other systems that people want to see preserved to that level, and it needs to happen soon, as media is degrading by the second.